Hi, I am a new DIYer and went to change my plugs in a 2005 Accord V6. Most people I asked for a torque wrench told me not necessary and so I went to do it by hand lightly. The car idled roughly and when I went to check on the plugs they were pretty loose, a HAIR past hand tightened. Definitely loose…

See if you can find an inch-pounds torque wrench. You just multiply the foot-pounds by 12 to come up with the equivalent foot-pounds value. Fair advice for plugs: Don’t keep retightening them, it’s inviting trouble. If you think it’s a little tight, leave it alone.

You sound like a cautious person, since the first time around you barely tightened the plugs at all. Now, the second time around, you’re worried that you overtightened them. But I doubt you tightened them enough to damage threads, given the above. If you did damage the threads in the head, removin…

Can you get at the rear plugs with a torque wrench and a straight adapter? If not, just tighten them as best you an with a ratchet, extension, and universal adapter. And why isn’t antiseize compound recommended?

I’ve never used a torque wrench but have been putting plugs in go carts, mowers, bikes, etc. since I was 12. I just snug them with the ratchet and then another snug. I don’t know how you would get a torque wrench into some of the tight spaces now. I can barely get my hand back there.

All good info here. Want to add that I bought a cheapo 3/4 torque wrench from harbor freight and it has lifetime warranty. Word of caution, 1st time using the T wrench, increase the torque settings gradually from lets say 8 to 13 to make sure you won’t over-tighten them. The wrench itself is large …

I assume you mean 13 foot pounds. That’s the rotational force exerted if you pushed with a force of 13 pounds at the end of a 1 foot long wrench. Inexpensive torque wrenches that I think would work for you are available at Harbor Depot. But if you don’t have a torque wrench, you can make a prett…

Plugs with crush washers can feel deceptive when installing them. When the crush washer makes contact with the seat, you will feel resistance (this is probably where you got nervous and stopped tightening them). You then want to keep tightening until you feel a significant amount more resistance, …

Personally, I always use a torque wrench on plugs - I simply don’t have to change them often enough, and I have a tendency to underestimate the amount of torque I’m applying when doing it by hand. If I target 7-13 lb-ft, I’m just as likely to hit 20 as I am 10. I set the torque wrench on the low e…

Thank you all for the comments. This is the first time I’ve installed these iridium plugs with the washers. All of my other cars have been fine with a 1/4 turn. Here is the anti seize TSB NGK So I feel like I have no common sense, I checked to see if they were loose after reading the # 4 middle fr…

Torque wrench for spark plugs

Maintenance/Repairs

CapriRacer May 3, 2012, 3:06pm 22

I used a torque wrench on my spark plugs until I was confident I knew what it should feel like. After that, there was no need. I suspect others learned a different way, and don’t realize there are several ways to arrive at the proper destination.

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Torque wrench for spark plugs

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